"Yes! Yes!" Jing'er was so scared she could barely muster the strength to get up!
What happened that night had become a lifelong nightmare for her.
Jing'er scrambled to her feet, and thankfully, Prince Xuan didn't press further. She quickly left.
Feng Yexuan stared at the overturned wine on the table, his eyes deep.
Consort Jin said urgently, "Someone! Quickly! Quickly clean up for His Highness!"
Servants waiting outside hurried in to clear the mess on the table.
A trace of wine had splashed onto Feng Yexuan's clothes. Everyone was trembling, unsure how to wipe it for the Prince.
The Prince's expression was truly unpleasant, and they feared angering him further.
"Xuan'er, about the selection of a consort..."
"Mother Consort, your son has some matters to attend to. I shall take my leave!"
Feng Yexuan stood up, bowed, and turned to leave.
Consort Jin let out a sigh of relief.
Although she wanted to keep him there to say more, the incident had left her shaken.
It was good for him to leave now.
However, Xuan'er seemed to truly detest the idea of selecting a consort. Was it because of Chu Qianli?
Feng Jinrui, seeing that his fourth imperial brother was unhappy, wanted to follow, but Consort Jin called him back, "No need to chase after him. Your fourth imperial brother isn't angry; he just doesn't want to discuss this matter."
"Has Father Emperor really decided to select a consort for Fourth Imperial Brother?" This was something she hadn't heard of before.
Consort Jin nodded.
She somewhat understood the Emperor's intentions.
Feng Yexuan outwardly appeared indifferent and heartless towards Chu Qianli, but in reality, his concern for her was evident even to the Emperor.
The Emperor naturally disliked this daughter of a low-born singer.
A consort for Prince Xuan absolutely could not be her.
However, she was still very anxious now. This matter would have to wait until Feng Yexuan calmed down.
"Ruier, Mother Consort suddenly remembers some matters in the palace that Mother Consort needs to attend to."
She stood up, for the first time unwilling to continue dining with her son.
Normally, she would cling to her two sons at every moment.
"Ruier, Mother Consort must leave first. You eat slowly; someone will serve you."
With that, she left Feng Jinrui behind and hurried out of the side hall.
After exiting, she glared at Jing'er, who was hiding in a corner, and said in a low voice, "Aren't you going to pack my things yet!"
Only then did Jing'er dare to approach, and the mistress and servant immediately returned to their room.
There wasn't much to pack, just to quickly gather their belongings and leave as soon as the carriage arrived.
Jing'er, still shaken, accidentally dropped something while packing.
Consort Jin, already agitated, became furious upon hearing the sound of something falling and immediately raised her hand to slap her.
"You useless thing, what good are you to me? Tell me yourself!"
Jing'er, terrified, quickly knelt on the ground and cried, "This servant knows her mistake, this servant knows her mistake! Your Ladyship, spare me! Your Ladyship, spare me!"
"You know you made a mistake?" Consort Jin kicked her.
Jing'er rolled on the ground, not daring to get up, only crying on her knees.
"This servant will never dare again, Your Ladyship, spare me!"
Consort Jin looked anxious, seeing that the carriage outside had not yet arrived, but she couldn't wait any longer.
"Get up quickly, wipe your tears. If I see you being flustered again, I will kill you!"
Jing'er, terrified, quickly got up, wiped the tears from her face, picked up her things, and followed behind her.
Seeing Consort Jin about to leave, Jing'er said urgently, "Your Ladyship, the carriage hasn't arrived yet."
"I can't wait any longer. We'll leave first and get on a horse along the way."
They had originally planned to return to the palace the next morning, so the carriage was not ready.
But now, she was in a state of panic, afraid that Feng Yexuan would see through her.
She had to return to the palace first; perhaps she would be safe there.
She felt that tonight was very dangerous.
Consort Jin immediately went out and said to the guards, "Have someone bring the carriage to the back door. I will leave from the back door."
"Your Ladyship?" The guard looked astonished.
The Prince's mother consort was leaving, how could she leave from the back door? It was improper!
"Quick! Order someone to wait at the back door, go now, quickly!"
"Yes!"
After the guard left, Consort Jin turned back and glared at Jing'er, "Let's go!"
Leaving through the back door would not attract much attention, and Feng Yexuan probably wouldn't care.
Once back in the palace, she would have to find a way to get rid of Jing'er.
If necessary, she would make her disappear forever.
Otherwise, keeping her would ultimately be a disaster. Tonight, she had almost exposed her!
Her gaze at Jing'er held a hint of killing intent, completely unconcealable.
Jing'er's heart sank into desolation.
When they returned to the palace, she would not have a good outcome. Consort Jin would definitely find a way to eliminate her.
Having done what she did, Jing'er knew she would not have a good end.
She had heard about the power struggles in the harem, even if she hadn't experienced them herself.
Those involved would be silenced.
She would be silenced...
The mistress and servant hurried along, but suddenly a dark figure appeared ahead.
That was...
"Ah... Mmph—" Jing'er screamed.
Before her cry could escape, Consort Jin covered her mouth.
"What are you screaming about?" Consort Jin's face was filled with anger. She glared fiercely at Jing'er, then at the woman emerging from the shadows of the trees.
"Chu Qianli, what do you mean by this?"
Now, could she freely enter and exit the Prince Xuan's manor?
Feng Yexuan hadn't confined her; it was too outrageous!
Seeing Chu Qianli appear before her with a cold expression, Consort Jin's heart instantly tensed.
Jing'er, however, was terrified.
Since that night she had watched Chu Qianli miscarry, she hadn't seen this girl again.
Now, seeing her again, Chu Qianli was dressed in white, her complexion pale, and under the moonlight, she looked even more frighteningly pale.
It was like... like...
"A ghost, a ghost..." Jing'er was so scared her body went limp.
Consort Jin pulled her hard, "What are you panicking about? She's a person, look closely!"
Jing'er dared not say another word, only trembling all over.
"Chu Qianli, this is Prince Xuan's manor. If you dare to be disrespectful to me, I can have you executed immediately!"
Consort Jin thought for a moment and quickly straightened her back, no longer afraid.
This was Prince Xuan's manor, with guards all around.
As long as she called out, the guards would immediately come. What was she afraid of?
"I heard my Xuan'er sealed your acupoints?"
Thinking of this, Consort Jin became even less afraid.
She sneered, "Do you think you can harm me? Chu Qianli, I advise you not to overestimate yourself!"
"Even if you go to Xuan'er to complain, I can simply insist that your bastard child fell and miscarried on your own. What grounds do you have to deal with me?"
After so many days, the miscarriage-inducing medicine from that time was long gone from Chu Qianli's body.
No matter how skilled Liu Jin's medical art was, he could only diagnose that Chu Qianli had a miscarriage, and it was impossible to find out what she had drunk.
If she hadn't found a way to complain back then, there was no evidence now.
What else could Chu Qianli use to accuse her?
The more Consort Jin thought about it, the calmer she became.
Chu Qianli, however, continued to look at her coldly, even with a faint, almost imperceptible smile on her lips.
That smile was bone-chillingly cold, making one's scalp tingle.
"Do you really think I have no evidence?"